March 2022 CD Practitioner Gathering Harvest

On Wednesday, March 9th we had our third Community Development Practitioner Gathering of 2022, and it was another great morning of connecting and learning!

You can access the full notes here, or flip through the note taking slides below!

We had three breakout rooms have conversations on four different topics. We’re sharing the highlights here gathered from the group debrief.

What and where is the greatest need for families with young children?

• Focused on post-COVID recovery, and the specific needs coming out of lack of connection and relating to mental health

• Basic needs have been really affected by price increases, loss of jobs, etc.

What does partnering differently look like?

• If you feel like you don’t have to build partnerships, it’s a sign that you need to make time

• Be aware of power dynamics

How to get to know your community?

• Identify partners, stakeholders, communities

• Have patience and persistence

• Remember that the goal is to create a sense of belonging